Post by Lazario on Feb 16, 2008 18:38:32 GMT -5
Let's talk Horror Classics! There's a little too much "franchise" talk only here. Let's talk the individual benchmarks of achievement in horror!
1.
Rosemary's Baby (1968) - this is the greatest horror film ever made. Nothing compares to it. Nothing. It is the most original and inspired story. It has some of the best acting, considering the style it's reaching for. The pacing is exquisite. The building the movie takes place in is creepy. Everything that happens is interesting. Everything here is just perfect. There's no other word to describe this movie. It is the Greatest Horror Film Ever Made and a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
2.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - another example of a horror movie where acting and story are king. And after that, this movie also delivers one of the most disturbing portraits of a serial killer, and actually has room left over to deal with another dangerously disturbed mind. Most people who haven't seen the movie probably think the serial killer in the movie is Hannibal Lecter. Think again. The director of this film never made a horror film before this, and after this only made 1 film with horror-type elements in it later (Beloved).
3.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - some horror films are all about the story. Some horror films are all about showing you terror. Pure terror. Almost without any rhyme or reason, terror can happen to you. You can be picked up and dropped in the center of hell. This film does that better than any other in the history of the genre. The entire point of the movie is that there is no real escpae. You just have to run like hell once you know what's after you. And hope that you can get away. This thing is raw. And other horror films have tried to do what this one does. Most of them failed. This one's the master of pure, raw, screaming terror. That's the story.
4.
Carrie (1976) - Carrie is one of the bravest horror films ever made. Because most audiences always need to feel that their main character is a hero or a heroine. Most viewers can't sit down and enjoy or appreciate the story of a person who is constantly victimized. But that's what horror is about. The next thing that makes this such a masterpiece is that the horror is mostly social. Until the famous scene at the prom, which is one of the most disturbing, brutal scenes ever filmed in the history of horror, this is a horror movie about people. And Carrie is not an easy person to love. But this movie makes you feel sorry for her. Even when she's doing terrible things.
5.
The Evil Dead (1981) - some of the greatest horror movies ever made were like an accident. The filmmakers have an idea. Sometimes, that idea is to simply- let all hell break loose. Anything goes! Most horror movies that do that don't do it well. Of the few that do, The Evil Dead is one that manages to capture pure brilliance in the form of 1 guy in a cabin being terrorized by his own friends after they become demons. This film could never be copied. The director and crew just went nuts onscreen, but did it in a very elegant, surreal, and masterful way. There's no real formula to why this works so well... it just does.
6.
Suspiria (1977) - there are not too many great horror films that mix fantasy in with their horror. Many of them go with mythological themes, and lose all the horror. Some of them even fall into science fiction because that's what the writers like. Not Dario Argento. Suspiria is a masterwork because it, better than any other film, turns the fairy tale nature of this fantasy film into pure terror. A sophisticated, graceful, elegant terror that you'll never find has been equalled in any other film. Suspiria is such a fresh film, that it has remained a classic and a beloved film over 3 decades. And hasn't lost any of its edge. Which it has plenty of.
7.
Halloween (1978) - there have been a lot of films about killers. But Halloween is one of the great pioneers of the epic Slasher Film genre of horror. Because it makes its' killer scarier when it begins refering to it as a "shape." Michael Myers is more of a shadow than a person. He moves through the night undetected. He sets his sights on a person and he does not stop pursuing them until he kills them. There is no escape. He cannot be killed. He is a boogeyman. He is almost inhuman. Like pure fear. It haunts his victims. And director John Carpenter knows how to make this movie unforgettable. Visually, you never know what'll happen next. The soundtrack is pitch-perfect as well.
8.
Deranged (1973) - there have been many movies about serial killers. But of all of them, this is the best traditional film I have seen. It goes right into the twisted, sad, pathetic world of Ezra Cobb, and you are there the entire time. You watch him kill- which happens in all serial killer movies. But you also see his strange worldview. You hear every thought in his head, because he confides in his dead mother and tells her everything. And even after all the movie makes you see, which is creepy enough, the death / murder scenes are some of the most suspenseful and genuinely unsettling scenes ever filmed! This is a true, often overlooked, masterpiece.
9.
Ginger Snaps (1999) - the world is a very sexist place. From the start, men have most of the advantages. And even though men make life hell for each other by making everything being competitive, they still are at least given a chance. Men rule everything. They set up all the systems and women can play the game or go home. So they decide to live and play. Which makes a lot of teenagers draw back from groups. There are a lot of isolated teenagers. This film shows us what girls in our world have to do to fit in, then it gives our outcast girls an upper hand. A power that no one else has: The Curse.
Ginger Snaps is a masterpiece because it shows us a very accurate view of what the world is like, and gives us the story of two sisters who are closer than most. And, well, Ginger Snaps is everything a horror movie these days should be: well-written, well acted, great special effects, well directed, mysterious yet suspenseful, scary in some ways, terror-filled in others. It is the best werewolf movie ever made, and the last great masterpiece of the horror genre (which has gone straight down the crapper ever since).
10.
Dead Alive / Braindead (1992) - there is a whole industry of horror movies you may not have heard of. The "Splatter" Film. Where blood gushes like guysers. And gore, flesh, internal organs spill out of bodies like pancake batter. Things get cut off and fly across rooms. Anyway, they are usually awful movies. Dead Alive was made by Peter Jackson. When he makes a horror movie, he makes it worth your while. He makes you stay sitting. You can't take your eyes off the screen. If you do, you'll miss a lot. And this movie gives you more blood and gore onscreen than any other horror film ever made. But the sense of humor, writing, and great acting also make this movie excellent. Give it a watch. It's a masterpiece.
1.
Rosemary's Baby (1968) - this is the greatest horror film ever made. Nothing compares to it. Nothing. It is the most original and inspired story. It has some of the best acting, considering the style it's reaching for. The pacing is exquisite. The building the movie takes place in is creepy. Everything that happens is interesting. Everything here is just perfect. There's no other word to describe this movie. It is the Greatest Horror Film Ever Made and a masterpiece in every sense of the word.
2.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - another example of a horror movie where acting and story are king. And after that, this movie also delivers one of the most disturbing portraits of a serial killer, and actually has room left over to deal with another dangerously disturbed mind. Most people who haven't seen the movie probably think the serial killer in the movie is Hannibal Lecter. Think again. The director of this film never made a horror film before this, and after this only made 1 film with horror-type elements in it later (Beloved).
3.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - some horror films are all about the story. Some horror films are all about showing you terror. Pure terror. Almost without any rhyme or reason, terror can happen to you. You can be picked up and dropped in the center of hell. This film does that better than any other in the history of the genre. The entire point of the movie is that there is no real escpae. You just have to run like hell once you know what's after you. And hope that you can get away. This thing is raw. And other horror films have tried to do what this one does. Most of them failed. This one's the master of pure, raw, screaming terror. That's the story.
4.
Carrie (1976) - Carrie is one of the bravest horror films ever made. Because most audiences always need to feel that their main character is a hero or a heroine. Most viewers can't sit down and enjoy or appreciate the story of a person who is constantly victimized. But that's what horror is about. The next thing that makes this such a masterpiece is that the horror is mostly social. Until the famous scene at the prom, which is one of the most disturbing, brutal scenes ever filmed in the history of horror, this is a horror movie about people. And Carrie is not an easy person to love. But this movie makes you feel sorry for her. Even when she's doing terrible things.
5.
The Evil Dead (1981) - some of the greatest horror movies ever made were like an accident. The filmmakers have an idea. Sometimes, that idea is to simply- let all hell break loose. Anything goes! Most horror movies that do that don't do it well. Of the few that do, The Evil Dead is one that manages to capture pure brilliance in the form of 1 guy in a cabin being terrorized by his own friends after they become demons. This film could never be copied. The director and crew just went nuts onscreen, but did it in a very elegant, surreal, and masterful way. There's no real formula to why this works so well... it just does.
6.
Suspiria (1977) - there are not too many great horror films that mix fantasy in with their horror. Many of them go with mythological themes, and lose all the horror. Some of them even fall into science fiction because that's what the writers like. Not Dario Argento. Suspiria is a masterwork because it, better than any other film, turns the fairy tale nature of this fantasy film into pure terror. A sophisticated, graceful, elegant terror that you'll never find has been equalled in any other film. Suspiria is such a fresh film, that it has remained a classic and a beloved film over 3 decades. And hasn't lost any of its edge. Which it has plenty of.
7.
Halloween (1978) - there have been a lot of films about killers. But Halloween is one of the great pioneers of the epic Slasher Film genre of horror. Because it makes its' killer scarier when it begins refering to it as a "shape." Michael Myers is more of a shadow than a person. He moves through the night undetected. He sets his sights on a person and he does not stop pursuing them until he kills them. There is no escape. He cannot be killed. He is a boogeyman. He is almost inhuman. Like pure fear. It haunts his victims. And director John Carpenter knows how to make this movie unforgettable. Visually, you never know what'll happen next. The soundtrack is pitch-perfect as well.
8.
Deranged (1973) - there have been many movies about serial killers. But of all of them, this is the best traditional film I have seen. It goes right into the twisted, sad, pathetic world of Ezra Cobb, and you are there the entire time. You watch him kill- which happens in all serial killer movies. But you also see his strange worldview. You hear every thought in his head, because he confides in his dead mother and tells her everything. And even after all the movie makes you see, which is creepy enough, the death / murder scenes are some of the most suspenseful and genuinely unsettling scenes ever filmed! This is a true, often overlooked, masterpiece.
9.
Ginger Snaps (1999) - the world is a very sexist place. From the start, men have most of the advantages. And even though men make life hell for each other by making everything being competitive, they still are at least given a chance. Men rule everything. They set up all the systems and women can play the game or go home. So they decide to live and play. Which makes a lot of teenagers draw back from groups. There are a lot of isolated teenagers. This film shows us what girls in our world have to do to fit in, then it gives our outcast girls an upper hand. A power that no one else has: The Curse.
Ginger Snaps is a masterpiece because it shows us a very accurate view of what the world is like, and gives us the story of two sisters who are closer than most. And, well, Ginger Snaps is everything a horror movie these days should be: well-written, well acted, great special effects, well directed, mysterious yet suspenseful, scary in some ways, terror-filled in others. It is the best werewolf movie ever made, and the last great masterpiece of the horror genre (which has gone straight down the crapper ever since).
10.
Dead Alive / Braindead (1992) - there is a whole industry of horror movies you may not have heard of. The "Splatter" Film. Where blood gushes like guysers. And gore, flesh, internal organs spill out of bodies like pancake batter. Things get cut off and fly across rooms. Anyway, they are usually awful movies. Dead Alive was made by Peter Jackson. When he makes a horror movie, he makes it worth your while. He makes you stay sitting. You can't take your eyes off the screen. If you do, you'll miss a lot. And this movie gives you more blood and gore onscreen than any other horror film ever made. But the sense of humor, writing, and great acting also make this movie excellent. Give it a watch. It's a masterpiece.